Dubai Parks and Resorts announced that every year it will celebrate UAE National Day with a limited number of tickets priced equivalent to the anniversary year.  This year, Dubai Parks and Resorts will celebrate the 45th UAE National Day with 4,500 tickets for 45 AED per person per park from (1st December – 3rd December) at LEGOLAND® Dubai and Bollywood Parks™ Dubai. As the largest integrated theme park destination in the region, Dubai Parks and Resorts is a destination that the UAE can be proud of and it is only fitting to mark UAE National Day annually in a truly memorable way. The #DPRNationalPride tickets will go on sale at www.dubaiparksandresorts.com from November 26th and a limited number will also be available over the National Day Weekend (1st December – 3rd December) at the park gates. Families looking to celebrate National Day together at the destination are encouraged to go online or to the parks early to avoid disappointment.  Guests can visit either LEGOLAND® Dubai or Bollywood Parks™ Dubai and enjoy over 76 interactive rides, shows, attractions and experiences, many of which have never been seen anywhere else in the world before.  Some of the many highlights include MINILAND in LEGOLAND® Dubai where families can admire UAE landmarks made from 20 million LEGO® bricks and, in the world’s first Bollywood theme park, see big screen Bollywood movies brought to life via cinematic rides and thrilling 3D and 4D simulations. Guests will also be able to visit Riverland™ Dubai, a unique themed retail and dining destination at the heart of Dubai Parks and Resorts that is free for all to enjoy.  Riverland™ Dubai will be fully dressed for the UAE National …

The 3rd Annual Conference on Health and Medical Tourism – Brand UAE, organised by Thumbay Hospital and Gulf Medical University, was held at the Dusit Thani Hotel, Dubai. The theme for this year was nurturing partnerships and exploring opportunities. Spokesperson from Gulf Medical University reiterated that they are making efforts to create a new workforce in this sector in keeping with the vision of the government of Dubai to make it a destination or a hub for health tourists from around the world. Chief Guest for the event was H.E. Dr. Amin Al Amiri; Assistant Undersecretary for Medical Practice and License Sector Ministry of health, UAE with Guest of Honour was Thumbay Moideen; Founder President, Thumbay Group UAE. At the event leading medical tourism experts from UAE were honoured with special awards of honour and recognition and the third batch of graduates from the medical tourism facilitator course also received their certificates at the event.

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) highlighted its new initiatives aimed at further enhancing the overall visitor experience and boosting green tourism practices, as part of the activities that are being held during UAE Innovation Week from November 20-26. Dubai Tourism has set up an exhibition stand at BOXPARK, the offbeat outdoor destination by Meraas that is showcasing a new version of the Dubai Calendar App, two exciting concepts developed under the Dubai Sustainable Tourism Initiative, and information on the Dubai Expert training programme. The annual UAE Innovation Week was launched in 2015 by His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai to help create and sustain a culture of innovation in the UAE and help position the country as a global hub for innovation. Dubai Tourism is one of the government entities that are organising activities to celebrate Innovation Week in each emirate. Open daily from 3-9pm, the free-to-attend outdoor exhibition at BOXPARK features an upgraded Dubai Calendar App, a digital smart hub that is being displayed on an interactive screen designed as a mobile phone frame and offering visitors the opportunity to view all upcoming events in Dubai, buy tickets and make seat reservations through just one click. There are also video screens on site, highlighting Dubai Calendar activities. Visitors to the Dubai Tourism stand at BOXPARK can also learn about the Hospitality Sustainability Board Game and the Carbon Calculator, two concepts developed under the Dubai Sustainable Tourism Initiative. Workshops will be held daily during the exhibition to allow representatives from the hotel industry to play the Board Game, an educational tool that was created …

Dubai Trade, the single window for cross-border trade and smart trading solutions, is integrating the “Rosoom” e-payment gateway with the Global Village website. The agreement gives visitors the convenience of buying tickets online through the Global Village website www.globalvillage.ae or its mobile application. During the 159 days of its 20th edition, Global Village received 5.3 million visitors. With the new service, this year’s visitors will no longer need to wait in long queues at ticket booths before sampling the shopping and entertainment experience available at Global Village. They have a wide range of payment options to choose from including credit cards, direct debit by linking to the online internet banking portals of major banks, and pre-payment tools such as the e-dirham.

Qatar Airways has launched a digital membership card for its Privilege Club members, providing them with an option to redeem Qmiles when travelling across the airline’s global network. Available to all Privilege Club membership tiers — Burgundy, Silver, Gold and Platinum — the new digital membership card provides travellers with the same level of service as the physical card using their smartphones or tablets. Members can continue earning and redeeming Qmiles on products and services, priority check-in, extra baggage allowance, special discounts at Qatar Duty Free, accessing Qatar Airways’ lounges and using partner airline services, award fee waivers for Gold and Platinum members, Flexi Awards and online redemption discounts. Travellers can now present their membership card on a smartphone or tablet via the Qatar Airways App, mobile website, Apple Wallet, email or as a saved image on a portable device. The digital membership card will now supersede the physical card for all new Burgundy Privilege Club members and their nominated family members, providing them with immediate access to the many benefits of the Privilege Club programme.

Amadeus Gulf has renewed its consortium agreement with Bin Ham and Al Amaan, part of the Bin Ham Group of companies for the next three years.  It also renewed partnership with Abu Dhabi Travel Bureau, in order to fulfill their strategy of developing the off-line and online business. Nabil El Saygh, General Manager, Bin Ham Travel Group, said, “This renewal is the result of the quality of service that Amadeus offer, together with personalized care in order to create a relationship of confidence. Amadeus products bring value to our business through up/cross selling, helping us to serve our customers more efficiently and in a cost-effective manner”. Graham J. Nichols, Managing Director, Amadeus Gulf, said, “We are delighted to renew our agreement with the Bin Ham Travel Group as it clearly demonstrates the confidence they have through experience in our technology, service and support. Our leading products and solutions provide agencies with many opportunities to improve their efficiency and effectiveness in operation as well as ensuring their customer loyalty.  We look forward to a continued and long lasting relationship”.  As part of the agreement, Amadeus Gulf will offer the agencies Front office solution (Amadeus Ticket Changer/Master Pricer Expert), Mid Office (Credit control/Web UETTR) and the Online Solution (E-Power- Mobile Traveller).

Marriott International has signed an agreement with Al Maryia Real Estate Establishment to open a Four Points by Sheraton in Riyadh. Scheduled to open in 2019, Four Points by Sheraton King Abdul Aziz Road will offer 130 rooms in the Sulaimaniyah district. The Four Points brand is on track to open six properties in Saudi Arabia in the next five years. The new Four Points will offer 130 guest rooms, including 30 suites. Located in the Sulaimaniyah district in central Riyadh, the hotel is 15 minutes from King Fahd Road and Olaya Road, and within close proximity from the King Khalid International Airport, King Abdul-Aziz Metro Station and the King Abdullah Financial Center. Marriott International currently operates 19 properties and over 5,000 rooms in Saudi Arabia. The company is on track to reach its milestone of 50 operating hotels in the country in the next five years. 

Air Canada is expanding its reach within the Middle East and aims to tap new markets such as Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman. The only four star international network carrier in North America, Air Canada celebrated one year of their operations in Dubai recently in the presence of Margaret Skinner, Director Sales EMEAI, Air Canada. Skinner says that the Dreamliner is a game changer for them, but now they have upgraded it to a Boeing 777 for the convenience of the passengers travelling from Dubai – Toronto route and vice versa. Deepu Cyriac, Country Manager for UAE/GCC, Air Canada, stated that they recently opened BSP in Kuwait. They are further expanding their services to have SPA partnerships with Qatar Airways, Kuwait Airways, Oman Air and Saudi Arabian Airline to travel via Dubai and London to more destinations in Canada. This flexibility has seen a very good growth from the region. They are currently serving a very good mix of markets around the region.

Rotana has launched its second hotel in Amman with a total investment of approximately $280 million. Deputizing for His Majesty King Abdullah II, Jordan’s Prime Minister Hani Al-Mulki patronized the official opening of ‘Rotana Amman’, which brings the group’s combined inventory in Amman to 803 rooms, suites and hotel apartments, making Rotana the largest hotel operator in the Kingdom employing 900 Jordanians. As the tallest building in the Kingdom, Amman Rotana towers 188 meters and features 50 floors that include 412 lavish rooms and suites designed to combine luxury and comfort. Additionally, the hotel is home to a number of sophisticated and innovative dining venues, the cutting-edge Bodylines Fitness & Wellness Club as well as an outdoor swimming pool. Amman Rotana features six dining outlets, including ThreeSixty, The Lounge, Rodeo Grill steakhouse, Italian restaurant Gusto, Bar on Four and The Deck Pool Lounge. Additionally, the hotel houses the Monarch Ballroom, a deluxe hall for special occasions and nine exclusive meeting spaces, as well as Bodylines Fitness & Wellness Club which offers the latest in training equipment, expert trainers, a sauna, Jacuzzi and steam rooms. Located in Amman’s new downtown as an integral part of the Abdali project, the hotel is centrally located with a spectacular 360-degree panoramic view of the capital and its seven hills. Amman Rotana is adjacent to The Boulevard Arjaan by Rotana and is steps away from the Boulevard, a contemporary commercial district that features luxurious outdoor retail stores as well as a number of popular restaurants and cafes. Also close by is the Al-Abdali Mall, Jordan’s largest commercial complex, showcasing numerous international brands and boutique shops.

World’s first Bollywood inspired theme park opened its doors at Dubai Parks and Resorts. Bollywood Parks Dubai is a first-of-its-kind theme park that showcases rides and attractions based on some of Bollywood’s biggest blockbusters. The park opened with a ceremony that included various live entertainment shows performed by the talented Bollywood artists and dancers. Bollywood Parks Dubai will recreate the Bollywood experience through themed attractions and rides spread across five zones: Bollywood Boulevard, Mumbai Chowk, Rustic Ravine, Royal Plaza and Bollywood Film Studios. Visitors will experience bold action, colourful story-telling and captivating dance sequences inspired by nine popular films: Rock On!!, Don, Lagaan, Sholay, Dabangg, Mughal-e-Azam, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, RA.One and Krrish. Bollywood Parks Dubai’s flagship offering is the 850-seater Rajmahal Theatre that will be home to a separately ticketed Broadway-style, Bollywood -themed show. During the day, the park will have up to 20 live shows across five stages: Rock On!!, Crossroads, Mumbai Express, Rangmanch and Stars on Steps. The park will also offer six themed restaurants that capture India’s mouth-watering culinary offerings and eight retail outlets stocking quintessential filmy fare.